West LA College Dance Instructor Wins Prestigious Ovation Award

Last week, West Los Angeles College’s popular dance instructor Janet Roston took home a prestigious Ovation Award for her choreography for The Color Purple, produced by the Center Theater Group, which runs the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and the Ahmanson Theatre.

Roston dedicated her award to her mother who passed away days before. “I know she’s out there kvelling right now,” Roston said when accepting the honr.

The LA Times described the restaging of this Broadway musical as a “raucous, exultant staging…this exuberant Color Purple creates an opportunity to count blessings.” The LA Weekly called Roston’s choreography “superb” and “beautifully realized despite the tight space constraints” of the Celebration Theater stage.

Roston trained as a choreographer at UCLA. In addition to teaching at West, she works in many aspects of entertainment as a choreographer and director for television commercials, film, music videos, theater, and corporate projects.  Her work can be seen at www.JanetRoston.com/Reel.htm

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